Russian Scientists Warn of Dangerous Levels of Carcinogen Along Black Sea Coast - The Moscow Times
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Russian scientists have detected dangerously high levels of a carcinogen in soil samples taken from beaches contaminated by the Black Sea oil spill, with one expert comparing the pollution to the U.S. military’s use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Soil samples collected during cleanup efforts in the resort town of Anapa contained benzopyrene levels 22.5 times above the legal limit, environmental scientist Viktor Danilov-Danilyan told the Moskovsky Komsomolets tabloid Sunday.

Benzopyrene, a toxic compound also found in coal tar and tobacco smoke, poses serious health risks. Andrei Peshkov, an environmental scientist with Russian state honors, likened its effects to Agent Orange, the herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.